Much like in baseball, softball players have a number of options to score scholarships
outside of their intended college programs. Summer leagues are a particularly good
source if you play in one or have played in one, and also a good place to gain exposure
if you are going for a college-funded award. Many of these local scholarships look
beyond talent if they consider it at all, and instead take into account academic
achievements, financial need, extracurricular activities outside of softball, community
service, and overall character.
Most of the larger schools also have scholarship funds offered by alumni who have
played on their college team, and funding dedicated to drawing talented softball
players to that college. College-based funding is regulated by an outside organization
like the NCAA, so eligible players will need a minimum GPA in addition to a proven
track record on the field.
Check out some examples of how to find softball scholarships below. For additional
information about awards based on different criteria, try conducting a free college
scholarship search at Scholarships.com.
NCAA Scholarships
About $1 billion in full and partial athletic scholarships are awarded each year
by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to more than 126,000 undergraduate
student-athletes at Division I and Division II schools. Although these scholarships
are awarded and administered directly by each academic institution, not the NCAA,
you’ll be required to meet the requirements of the NCAA to receive any funding.
Those requirements include a minimum GPA for both the college-bound and those already
on campuses, and qualifying standardized test scores. Contact your intended school’s
athletic department for more information if you have the academics and the skill
to play on a college team.
College-Based Scholarships
If you plan on playing softball in college, whether on a varsity team or on the
club level, your intended college could have funds and endowments set up by alumni
who played the sport before you ever set foot on that campus or in honor of relatives
and important figures to your school. Southeastern Community College in Iowa, for
example, awards the Marion Schmidt Softball Scholarship. Students who have signed
a letter of intent to play softball on the school’s team and maintain a 2.0 GPA
for freshmen and 2.2 GPA for sophomores are eligible. Make sure you do your research,
and talk to your financial aid office and athletic departments about local and college-based
awards you could be eligible for.
To be considered for scholarships at Augustana based on academic performance and/or talent requires a completed Application for Admission and Scholarship. Students must earn at least a 3.0 GPA while enrolled at Augustana to maintain these scholarships in subsequent years.
Augustana Athletic Grants are awarded to outstanding student-athletes; NCAA Division II, Northern Sun Intercollegiate [...] More
The CSUB Albert Holloway Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Albert Holloway who served for many years on the academic support, intercollegiate athletics, nominating, and student support committees of the foundation. He was a great supporter of academics, extracurricular, student service programs, and the athletic program. In order to apply, you must be a student-athlete at [...] More
To be eligible for the IUTIS Club Scholarship, the applicant must be a high school senior who participated in the IUTIS Club (Sidney, Ohio) boys softball program for at least four years and plan to attend a two- or four-year college/university. For more information or to apply, please visit the scholarship provider's website. [...] More
To be eligible for an award from the Kyle R. Magoto Scholarship Fund, the applicant must be a Russia High School (Shelby Co., Ohio) graduating senior pursuing an associate's or a bachelor's degree as a full-time student at an accredited educational institution. Applicant must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and must've participated in at least five athletic seasons throughout high school. The scholarship [...] More
This scholarship fund was established in 2013 by family and friends of Coach Lozano. The scholarship is given annually to a graduating high school senior athlete from the northernmost 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle. A minimum 2.0 GPA is required and students must be interested in pursuing a degree in education and/or coaching for the purpose of teaching and coaching at the high school level [...] More
Democratic presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren is proposing the elimination of existing college student loan debt for millions of Americans; over 42 million individuals. [...]
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's engineering school will soon be called the "Grainger College of Engineering" after receiving another $100 million gift from The Grainger Foundation. The Grainger donation is the largest amount ever gifted to a public university to rename a college. [...]
Thirteen parents and one coach charged in the "Operation Varsity Blues" college cheating scandal will plead guilty in accordance with plea agreements. While elite parents implicated in the admissions scandal cheated to help their children get into college, there is a growing concern about how students, in general, may be cheating their way through college; specifically by buying ghostwritten essays online. [...]
